Four out of 10 public sector bodies to use shared services in 2011

But will CIOs be put in charge?

Some 40 per cent of public sector organisations will use shared services in 2011, according to a study by CIO research forum K2advisory.

The study surveyed 106 senior managers and directors in the public sector in January 2011.

Of this 40 per cent, nine per cent said the coalition's programme of public sector cuts detailed in its Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) had spurred them to opt for shared services.

"The CSR is absolutely driving this growth," said Sarah Burnett, lead analyst at Ovum for the public sector.

"This fact that you can generate economies of scale through joint procurement and joint running of services, means that growth is just going to continue throughout 2011," she added.

K2advisory's research indicates that there are enough strategically focused public sector CIOs for shared services projects to work without requiring external leadership.

However, it also suggests that once completed, it is unlikely that a CIO will become "head of shared services", unless he or she has management experience outside of the IT department.

K2advisory believes this holds true even when IT is the sole shared service.

Burnett suggested that shared services programmes require a leader who primarily is not focused on keeping the different bodies involved happy.

"These projects require long-term commitment, and they need strong leadership," said Burnett.

"These leaders need decisions to be made for the better of the shared services, not to keep individual managers happy," she added.

"There is no point in having a head of shared services who has to consult with separate bodies - they need to have decision-making power."